Swiss Cheese Fondue Recipe
What's hard about making authentic Swiss fondue at home? Absolutely nothing — just like it looks, you're melting cheese in a pot. You don't need a fancy enamel vessel or those crazy long forks (although feel free to break out all three sets you received as wedding presents). You don't need to have skiied all day to deserve it. And the best part is, you get to hit your local cheese shop, hard. Cozy Chelsea nook Trestle on Tenth certainly has the right idea. Chef Ralf Kuettel was born and raised in the Alps, just like fondue.
Some of the cheeses may be difficult to find (don't expect them to be aging gracefully at Shop-Rite), but your local cheesemonger should be able to find viable substitutes for etivaz and vacherin if they don't have them in stock. Believe us, making friends with a cheesemonger is one of the smartest things you'll ever do for your rapidly developing palate.
Go all-out by serving your finished product with baguettes cut into cubes, an assortment of air dried beef and pork, cornichons and steamed potatoes.
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 8 ounces Emmentaler cheese
- 4 ounces gruyere cheese
- 4 ounces etivaz cheese
- 4 ounces vacherin fribourgeois or fontina cheese
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl with a whisk and set aside.
- Rub a stainless steel pot with the garlic, then drop the clove in.
- Add the white wine and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.
- Add the cheeses at once to the simmering wine.
- While stirring, melt the cheese and bring to a light simmer.
- Little by little, add a bit of the cornstarch slurry to the cheese until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Add the nutmeg, simmer the fondue for 8 minutes and serve over a low flame to keep it warm and melted.